VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The Obama administration has again invited Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff for a state visit to Washington, a diplomatic breakthrough that both sides hope will lead over time to greater trade between the two biggest economies in the Americas.

Shares of U.S.-based agribusiness Andersons Inc (ANDE.O) jumped more than 6 percent on Friday, outpacing the sector, after a Bloomberg News report speculated that Glencore PLC (GLEN.L) could be interested in acquiring the company.

HSBC Global Asset Management, an arm of HSBC Holdings (HSBA.L), is buying bonds of commodity exporting countries because their valuations have dropped so far with the plunge of oil prices, an executive said.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd is launching a cloud computing hub in Silicon Valley on Wednesday, the e-commerce giant's first outside of China, underscoring its global ambitions in the face of stiff and entrenched competition.

Greece's struggles with its euro zone creditors may have grabbed much of the world's attention, but U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is likely to reclaim the spotlight this week with testimony on a long-anticipated shift in policy.

The aerospace industry is shifting more manufacturing investment to the United States after a decade in which production jobs in the sector flowed to China and other emerging economies, according to a new study.

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff urged her cabinet on Tuesday to embrace fiscal belt-tightening and other measures aimed at restoring business confidence and growth in her second term.

Apple Inc (AAPL.O) quarterly results smashed Wall Street expectations with record sales of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones in the holiday shopping season and strong sales in China, although the United States remained the top iPhone market.

Packaging companies Rock-Tenn Co (RKT.N) and MeadWestvaco Corp (MWV.N) agreed to form a combined $16 billion company to take on market leader International Paper Co (IP.N) in the United States and abroad.

For years he was a lone voice in the aviation industry despite being one of its best-known economists, a Cassandra-like figure whose warnings of a slump in oil prices went unheeded.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's crusade to win back investor confidence has entrusted policymakers with the tough mission of hiking interest rates while major central banks cut them, raising the prospect of another recession in Latin America's biggest economy.

New world trade talks had to level the playing field between developed and developing economies on farm support and avoid being held hostage by countries unwilling to open markets, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said in an opinion piece to be published on Thursday.

Mergers and acquisitions activity in Brazil this year is likely to have a performance similar to last year's even if sluggish growth further weighs down confidence in Latin America's largest economy, a senior Credit Suisse Group AG dealmaker in the country said.

Portugal Telecom SGPS (PTC.LS) shareholders on Monday postponed until Jan. 22 a vote on the sale of its former operations by its merger partner, Brazil's Oi (OIBR3.SA), complicating the 7.4 billion euro ($9 billion) deal and possibly casting doubts on the long-agreed deal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged on Thursday $250 billion in investment in Latin America over the next 10 years as part of a drive to boost resource-hungry China's influence in a region long dominated by the United States.